FILTER Magazine #56

By Brooks Hays on August 23, 2011

Listening to Stephen Malkmus’ recorded music is like secretly peering in on his band playing loose and contentedly in a lonely garage—the listener is just a lucky witness to the band’s own infectious fun. That casual genius remains apparent on Mirror Traffic. A sloppy and inebriated brand of psych-rock still serves as an ideal backdrop to S.M.’s hilariously irreverent storytelling—half silly, half serious and often poignant. This musical recipe really never gets old.